This invention relates generally to attachments for retaining the shape of the shoulders of a garment, and more particularly, to a generally unitary, preferably plastic, shoulder support for use with garments stored on a wire hanger for retaining the shape of the shoulders and/or collars on such garments and to protect the garments from being distorted and creased when the garment is stored for more or less periods of time.
It is well known, particularly in the cleaning industry, that certain types of garments having either or both shoulders and collars, when stored on wire hangers for more or less protracted periods of time, tend to become misshapen, distorted and/or creased at either the shoulder and/or the collar sections. Various types of attachments for operative association with the wire hangers and such garments have been developed to overcome these problems, as is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,353,839; 3,428,229; 2,597,509; 2,841,316; 3,294,296; 2,601,442; 2,675,948; 4,658,997 and 4,944,436. These attachments are disclosed as being constructed from a variety of materials, for example, rigid plastic and cardboard like materials.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,948, a generally unitary hanger attachment which may be made of plastic material is shown and described in combination with a wire hanger. The attachment has a center section with a back wall opposing an open front and spaced apart shoulder shaped sections. The shoulder shaped sections are connected at one end to the center section and extend in opposite directions so that the center section and the shoulder shaped sections forming the attachment can be easily mounted over the wire hanger. The back wall of the center section has spaced vertically disposed ribs with transverse notches so that the attachment can be removably connected to the wire hanger by means of engagement of the horizontal portion of the wire hanger within the notches on the ribs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,229 discloses a shoulder guard constructed from a flat blank of stiff cardboard like material. The shoulder guard includes a front panel, two flaps at the upper portion of the panel and a collar spreader between the flaps across the top of the vertical center line of the panel. The flaps are adapted to be folded down along the fold lines that divert outwardly and downwardly from the ends of the collar spreader. The fold lines form a halfconical portion at each side of the panel, sloping downwardly and adapted to rest on the shoulder supports of a wire hanger to provide wider curved shoulder supports for a garment. The central part of the collar spreader is provided with an aperture through which the hook portion of the wire hanger is received for positioning the shoulder guard on the wire hanger.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,601,442 and 2,597,509 each disclose individual shoulder supports which may be releasably attached to the sloping portion of a wire hanger for supporting the shoulder portion of a garment. For example, the ""509 Patent discloses the shoulder supports being constructed from thin metal or plastic like material including a pair of arms which may be displaced from the shoulder support for capturing therebetween the horizontal portion of the wire hanger. In the ""442 Patent, the shoulder support is constructed of similar materials, and includes a pair of spaced apart depending wire brackets which are operative for engaging the sloping and horizontal portions of the wire hanger.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,997 discloses a shoulder guard of plastic material for support over a wire hanger. The shoulder guard includes a neck portion having a substantially planar upper surface which is provided with a hook passage slot. The slot includes first and second portions shaped to respectively pass and selectively retain the neck portion of a wire hanger thereby permitting angular adjustment of clothes on the hanger. For stabilizing the shoulder guard, the neck portion is provided with a third slot communicating with the second slot and disposed substantially parallel to the first slot, thereby permitting at least a portion of the neck of the wire hanger to extend through the third slot for securing and stabilizing the shoulder guard on the wire hanger.
From the foregoing, there is known a variety of shoulder guards constructed for attachment by various means to a wire hanger for supporting a garment thereon. These designs have a number of disadvantages such as in manufacturing costs, ease of assembly and use, reliability upon securement to a wire hanger, degree of garment support and/or complexity in manufacture. Accordingly, there is the need for improvements in a shoulder support for use with garments stored on a wire hanger for retaining the shape of the shoulders and/or collars on the garments.
The present invention overcomes the aforesaid problems attributable to known shoulder supports by providing a shoulder support of economical design and manufacture for garments which is detachably connectable to a wire hanger. The shoulder support can be fabricated or molded as a generally unitary or integral member of a relatively firm but resilient, preferably plastic material. However, it is contemplated that stiff cardboard-like material can also be used to construct the shoulder support in accordance with the present invention. The plastic member, by virtue of its designed resiliency, will narrow, squeeze or collapse under compressive forces which occur when garments are stored or stacked and thus reduce the space occupied by the garments and, on release of these compressive forces, expand back to substantially the original shape of the shoulder support to continue protecting the shoulders of the garment from distortion and creases. This feature of the shoulder support of the present invention is particularly useful at dry cleaning establishments where hundreds of garments are hung on a rack prior to being picked up by the customer. By enabling the shoulder supports to compress, a greater number of garments may be stored on a rack of fixed size, minimizing storage rack space and costs.
The shoulder support includes a center section and spaced oppositely extending shoulder supporting sections connected at one end to the center section and extending in opposite directions. The center section has a front wall and a back wall in spaced relation to each other to define an opening therebetween. Connector means is formed on the front wall of the center section for releasable locking engagement with a wire hanger, when the wire hanger is moved into assembled position on the shoulder support, after a portion of the hanger is extended through the opening formed in the center section. A collar shaper member may also be provided and formed on the back wall for engagement with garments which have collar sections thereon.
Additionally, the shoulder support for garments as above described can be provided with one or more slots on the front wall and/or the back wall for ties, belts and other accessories associated with the garment hung on the shoulder support.
Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention is directed to a shoulder support for garments, releasably connectable to a wire hanger. The shoulder support can be fabricated or molded as a generally unitary member made of a resilient material and having, a center section and spaced shoulder sections connected to the center section and extending in opposite directions. The center section has a front wall and a back wall disposed in spaced relation to define an opening therebetween, and connector means on the front wall disposed for releasable locking engagement with a wire hanger when a portion of the wire hanger is received through the opening.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a shoulder support for garments having collars and releasably connectable to a wire hanger. The shoulder support can be constructed as a generally unitary member made of a resilient material with a center section and spaced shoulder sections connected to the center section and extending in opposite directions. The center section has a front wall and a back wall disposed in spaced relation to define an opening therebetween, and a collar shaper member on the back wall disposed for releasable engagement with a collar member on a garment.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a shoulder support for garments having collars and connector means which are releasably connectable to a wire hanger. The shoulder support can be fabricated or molded as a generally unitary member made of a resilient material and having a center section and spaced shoulder sections connected to the center section and extending in opposite directions. The center section has a front wall and a back wall disposed in spaced relation to define an opening therebetween. Connector means are provided on the front wall disposed for releasable locking engagement with a wire hanger when a portion of the wire hanger is received through the opening. A collar shaper member on the back wall is disposed for releasable engagement with a collar member on a garment.
In a further aspect of the present invention, there is described an improved shoulder support for garments of the general type as above described in which the resilient material for the generally unitary member is plastic selected from the group of nylon, polyesters, polypropylenes, mixtures thereof and the like.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, there is described an improved shoulder support for garments of the general type as above described in which the resilient material for the generally unitary member is plastic having a predetermined gauge not less than about 0.005xe2x80x3 so that the shoulder support will narrow, squeeze or collapse under compressive forces when the garment is stored or stacked, whereby the garment and the shoulder support will take up less space, and when the compressive forces are removed, the shoulder support will expand or spring back to substantially its original shape and continue to protect the garment from distortion and creasing.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple and low-cost shoulder support for garments made of a resilient, preferably plastic, material which in assembled position during use can be narrowed, squeezed or collapsed when subjected to compressive forces when a garment is stored or stacked and, on release of the compressive forces, will expand or return substantially to its original shape for protecting the shoulders of the garment from distortion and creasing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved shoulder support for garments which can be releasably locked onto a wire hanger for supporting the garment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved shoulder support for garments having collars in which a collar shaper member is provided to preserve and protect the collar of the garment when the shoulder support is in assembled position.